Speed Limiters and Big Trucks: A New Law Is Coming Down the Road

Interstates 40, 65, 75, 24, and 81 cross through Tennessee, and Interstates 40, 65 and 24 run right through the heart of Nashville. Thousands and thousands of tractor-trailer rigs pass over these highways every day, and most of the operators follow act responsibly and obey the laws that govern the operation of these large vehicles.

Speeding can significantly influence the safe operation of a tractor-trailer. The first and most obvious factor is that high speed decreases a truck driver’s ability to react to a situation on the roadway. But, high speeds can also affect handling, stopping distances, the ability to safely deal with a tire blowout, etc. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, approximately 3,413 people die each year in trucking accidents. Because tractor-trailers can weigh 30 times more than passenger vehicles, not surprisingly, most of the deaths were occupants in the other vehicle.

In an effort to reduce the number of deaths in tractor-trailer and other big truck accidents, the Department of Transportation is scheduled to require all such trucks to use speed limiters by October of this year. The speed limiters or electronic governors would be set in the vehicle’s ECM or electronic control module. Notably, some trucking companies already use these speed limiters on their vehicles in an effort to reduce speeding by their drivers. The current proposal would set a speed limit of 68 mph on tractor-trailers and other heavy trucks.

At the Law Offices of John Day, we have seen the tragic consequences caused by tractor-trailer accidents and we welcome any new laws that will reduce injury and death on our roadways. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, we know you have questions about your case and we have several pages about truck accidents on our website including:

And, our lawyers offer free, no obligation consultations in all trucking accident cases, where we will review the facts of your wreck, answer your questions and explain your rights. If you would like to hire us after that free consultation, we will work on a contingent fee basis – which means we only get paid if we are able to secure a financial recovery for you. Call us anytime, day or night, at 615.742.4880.